The present invention relates to a composition containing plasticized sulfur, in particular a composition which is useful for coating walls or for consolidating soil or for forming a layer of material useful in various ways as, for example, in construction.
Plasticized sulfur mixtures are disclosed in various references. For example, J. I. Jin gives the following tabular comparison of plasticized sulfur compositions in his report given at the ACS Los Angeles meeting, Symposium on New Sulfur Chemistry, Apr. 19, 1974, page 235:
TABLE I ______________________________________ COMPARISON OF PLASTICIZED SULFUR COMPOSITIONS ______________________________________ Plasticizer Melt Viscosity Regulator Reference ______________________________________ Mixture of dithio Chlorinated Polyphenyls and higher thiols (2) Atylenepolysulfide (ZM:399)* and aliphatic poly- sulfide (LP-3)** None (3.6) OH ##STR1## Diphenyl dithiophosphate (4) and styrene Dithiol Monomercaptan (5) ______________________________________ *Thiokol's styrene polysulfide **Thiokol's liquid polysulfide (2)Louthan, R. P., U.S. Patent 3,434,852 (March 1969). (3)Barnes, M. D., U.S. Patent 3,316,115 (April 1967). (4)Signouret, J. B., U.S. Patent 3,560,451 (February 1971). (5)Kane, J. C., U.S. Patent 3,447,941 (June 1969). (6)Dale, J. M., Report No. 1 (Sept. 1961); Report No. 2 (April 1962); Report No. 3 (June 1963), Project 1092-2, Southwest Research Institute.
Other reports of interest given at the above ACS Symposium on New Sulfur Chemistry include that by B. R. Currell et al, "Plasticization of Sulphur," which report was concerned with a study of the chemical interaction of additives (such as polymeric polysulfides, unsaturated hydrocarbons and phenolic derivatives) with sulfur and also measurement, using differential scanning calorimetry and electron microscopy, of the rate of crystallization of sulfur in the presence of these additives. Limonene, myrcene, dicyclopentadiene and cycloocta-1,3-diene were found particularly effective in retarding sulfur crystallization. Other reports at the ACS Symposium of interest include that by T. A. Sullivan et al, "The Use of Sulfur in Coatings and Structural Materials." The Sullivan et al report described use of a sulfur formulation in construction of a cinder block building where the blocks were stacked dry and bonded together by spraying with the formulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,125 describes modifiers to reduce the viscosity of plasticized sulfur. According to the patent the viscosity of plasticized sulfur compositions comprising elemental sulfur plasticized with an organic sulfur-plasticizing agent is reduced by the addition of a modifying amount of a persulfide of the formula: EQU A--R--Sx--R--A
wherein each R is a hydrocarbon radical having up to about 10 carbon atoms, at least one A is hydroxyl or carboxyl and x is an integer of from 2 to about 5.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,115 describes plasticized sulfur marking compositions useful for marking roads and the like. The composition comprises a major amount of sulfur plasticized with at least one polysulfide polymer. The polysulfide plasticizer, according to the patent, may be (1) an aryl polysulfide wherein the bridging links between adjacent sulfur atoms in the polymer chain include an aromatic radical; and/or (2) an aliphatic polysulfide wherein the bridging links between adjacent sulfur atoms in the polymer chain include aliphatic ether linkages, e.g. ----CH.sub.2 0CH.sub.2 0CH.sub.2 ---- and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,000 describes a method of bonding building blocks without the use of any bonding medium on the contacting surfaces between the building blocks. According to the method a plasticized sulfur composition is coated on the external surfaces of the stacked building blocks. The plasticized sulfur composition consists essentially of sulfur, a polysulfide plasticizer and glass fibers. Preferred plasticizers are aryl polysulfides and aliphatic polysulfides. Aryl polysulfides are exemplified by styrene polysulfide which has been available as Thiokol polymer ZM-399. Aliphatic sulfides are exemplified in the No. 3,306,000 U.S. Patent by Thiokol LP-3 which contains ether linkages and has the recurring unit: EQU ----S.sub.X CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 S.sub.x--
where x has a value of 4.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,674,525, entitled "Plasticized Sulfur Compositions" is directed to a plasticized sulfur composition comprising sulfur plasticized with an organic sulfur plasticizing agent wherein the plasticized sulfur viscosity is reduced by the addition of an unsaturated acid to the plasticizing agent prior to its use for plasticizing sulfur. At column 3 of the '525 patent, it is indicated that various fillers can be included in the plasticized sulfur. Thus the patent states:
Any filler can be employed in the preparation of plasticized compositions. In some instances, the fillers also can serve as extender pigments. Preferably, the filler is added to the plasticized sulfur containing the modifier of this invention. Thorough mixing of the filler with the plasticized sulfur is readily achieved by stirring at temperatures at which the plasticized sulfur is molten. Less preferably, the filler can be added to the sulfur and/or to the plasticizer prior to plasticizing of the sulfur. PA1 Fillers suitable for use in the plasticized compositions are selected from a group consisting of silica, bentonite, china clay, titanium dioxide, barium sulfate, barium carbonate, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, magnesium silicate, magnesium oxide, magnesium carbonate, graphite, carbon black, glass fibers, metal powders, asbestos, wood flour, cotton floc, alpha cellulose, mica, pyrophyllite, pumice, diatomite, alumina hydrate, calcium silicate, and the like. PA1 The filler is present in the range of from about 1 to about 50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of plasticized sulfur.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,019 is directed to a composition comprising sulfur, dicyclopentadiene, glass fiber and talc.
My related patent application Ser. No. 518,438 is directed to a composition comprising sulfur, a sulfur plasticizer, a dispersing agent, and asbestos fibers of a specified mix. My related application Ser. No. 601,552 is directed to a composition comprising at least 50 weight percent sulfur, a sulfur plasticizer, and an aromatic polysulfide wherein the polysulfide is formed by reacting one mol of an aromatic carbocyclic or heterocyclic compound, substituted by at least one functional group of the class --OH or --NHR in which R is H or lower alkyl, with at least two mols of sulfur.